The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1912. FULL CRADLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 76, 16 August 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1912. FULL CRADLES.

The- kite Mr. Sedd'on's advice to his people to "keep their cradles full" was very excellent in theory, but in prac-' tice. it is apt v to be expensive. Mr. Massey's Government is apparently not disposed to help the lame i dog* of large families over ponies l ■ tis stiles, for the Minister of Railways has declined' to make any concessions in the railway passenger fares for children. lie has been petitioned to allow children under five years of age to travel free, and those between the ages of five and fourteen yeai's to trhvel at quarter rates. In reply, the Minister said: ''My investigations into the matter indicate.that it wou]d cost many thpu,sandta per annum to introduce the system of carrying children up to five years of age free, and those between the ages of five and fourteen years at quarter rates, on the railways of the Dominion. In these circumstances it is not proposed to make any concession in the direction indicated." Except that perhaps fourteen years is a trifle high for the maximum age, the request was a perfectly legitimate one, and one that should have met with a much more sympathetic response. In many other countries special facilities are accorded for the carriage of children 0:1 the railways, and our boasted progress looks very small beside a progressive policy of this sort. The Minister's answer savors a good deal of Departmental red tape, and we cannot see that his estimate that it would cost the country many thousands of pounds to carry young children free is based l upon any ascertained figures. At presentmany parents are constrained to remain at home during holiday time because they cannot leave their children and they cannot afford the luxury of paying their travelling expenses. But if facilities were given for their carriage free, or at a cheap rate, the traffic would be largely increased. If the country cannot see its way to make this concession out of ordinary revenue, it might, in the interests of population, provide the necessary revenue by a tax upon bachelor?. "We make the proposition in all seriousness, because it i 9 obvious that the unmarried) man does not bear the same share in the responsibilities of life as those who have given hostages to fortune, lliere is a movement on the Continent ami in Australia to pay bonu.ics to the parents of families in proportion to the number of children, and the suggested payment is a fair and legitimate attempt to solve a social problem of some moment. The present altitude of the Government on this subject does not accord with its professions of progressiveness and its vaunted desire to help the settlers in the back country. We hope that the House will not rest satisfied with the Minister's answer, but will ventilate the subject more fully 011 the floor of (he House,

THE V.'OXDEUS OF WlliKUvS There seems to be literally 110 end to the wonders of wireless, and the latest development of forwarding electric power through the air -without extraneous aid is particularly astounding. This has yet to -be proved, but in the meantime the ordinary wireless telegraphy is making enormous strides. On a recent visit to Great Britain, Mr. Marconi, the inventor ot radio-telegraphy, gave the London journals some interesting information regarding the projects which bis company hi\s in hand. Chief among these is the direct connection of London and New York by wireless. Sites have not yet been selected for the big stations which will have to he erected and equipped, but Mr. Marconi is con/ident that this new service will be ill operation within twelve mbnths. The service will be the longest regular wireless service in the world, it does not mar.k anything like the limit of the biggest modern installations. The Marconi Company, from their big station in Ireland, have sent messages to Buenos "Ayres,'nearly 7000 miles away. Mr. Marconi was, of course, asked a great many questions in the regard to the part wireless telegraphy played in the Titanic •' He expressed the opinion that tllp, event had proved the great benefit olj wirejess, and had also shown that it wfvs necessary to have.two operators oil aU ; ships carrying the system. Wireless tiiegTapliy in America, so far as the slfire stations were concerned, was badly in need -of .regulation. The "tapping" of messages sent from- ship to ship, he said, wasj quite unavoidable. • All ships weretuned alike purposely, and if this were liot the case it would be impossible for one' ship to'receive a signal of distress from another. - There was never any intention on the part of those interested to preserve secrecy regarding : marine mespges, and the Berlin Convention had definitely decreed that in the interests of public safety every ship should speak in the sitnift time. Had wireless been made a compulsory part of the equipment of 1 all Sea-g&ing s'h'ips, .Mr. Marconi added, the;-terrible loss of life iby- the 'Titanic disaster iftight have been in part or entirely avoided. It had -been proved that at Ipasfrtme steamer was very near the-.'Titanic when she sank. Before he left, New York. Mr. Marconi was the recipient of a gold plaque, modelled by Prince Troubetzkoy, the gift of'the leading citizens of the city, in commemoration p'f the' assistance rendered by wireless; telegraphy in bringing relief to the Titanic's survivors.